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Government & Politics

A look at the 2014 mayoral candidates, in their own words, Part I | The Louisiana Weekly – Incumbent Mayor Mitch Landrieu, Civil District Court Judge Mic­hael Bagneris and local NAACP Presi­dent Danatus King explain their qualifications,  why they want to serve as mayor, and their top priorities for the coming term.

The New Orleans City Council race | Gambit – Over twenty candidates are vying for six City Council seats, including “longtime New Orleans bureaucrats, state legislators hoping to move to city-level politics, lawyers, teachers [and] business owners.”

David Vitter announces bid to seek his consolation prize | NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune – The U.S. Senator once dreamed of becoming President. He may have to “settle” for governor, says Baton Rouge bureau chief J.R. Ball. I’d add that Vitter is an extraordinarily disciplined candidate, known for devilishly effective (if sometimes inflammatory) campaign strategies. If Republican Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne and state Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, want to become governor, they’d better not underestimate Vitter’s political skill.

Criminal Justice

City’s murder rate drops: A mere blip or the start of a long-term trend? | The Lens – Tulane’s Mark VanLandingham ponders the murder dip and says we should double down on what may be working.

The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s race | Gambit – A look at the candidates in the Sheriff’s race: Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman, former Sheriff Charles Foti and Orleans Parish School Board president and former police officer Ira Thomas.

One of Dr. King’s battles still yet to be won | Uptown Messenger – Columnist Owen Courreges argues that a judge’s “absolute authority to jail people for contempt of court” is an unreasonable catch-22 for those accused of contempt.

Schools

Q & A: Nolan Marshall Jr. says he aims to build consensus as OPSB president | The Lens – The newly-elected Orleans Parish School Board president also discussed charter school oversight and changing the makeup of the board.

Jindal proposes increased funding to higher education | The Advocate

During an afternoon news conference at LSU, Jindal described his plan as a $142 million funding increase to higher education.

While it’s technically true that under Jindal’s plan higher education institutions will have that much more money to work with compared with last year, nearly $88 million of that funding will come from students in the form of tuition increases allowed under the 2010 GRAD Act law.

Immense Unease Over Advertisers Nabbing Student Data | Huffington Post

“Student privacy and the protection of data is about to explode as an issue in the United States,” said James Steyer, who heads Common Sense Media. “The [poll] numbers are off the charts. It’s clear that students’ personal and private information must not be for sale. Period.”

Land Use

New Orleans announces $1 million in business-facelift money for blighted corridors | NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune – However, many business owners will have to take out loans to pay for the improvements before they can get reimbursed.

As new eateries open everywhere, some notable restaurant spaces remain idle | The New Orleans Advocate

[Uglesich’s restaurant is] one prominent example of a number of restaurant properties around town in something like suspended animation, seemingly ready to snap back to life yet sitting in long-term stasis. As a restaurant boom continues across New Orleans, with chefs and investors busy converting storefronts, homes and buildings of all description into new eateries, these sleeping beauties offer a stark contrast.

Environment

Afternoon Diversions | NOLA DEFENDER – Dredgefest, a “symposium on sediment,” included first-hand visits to river diversion sites that will be used in coastal reclamation projects.

Mark Moseley

Mark Moseley blogs at Your Right Hand Thief. Until mid 2014, Mark Moseley was The Lens' opinion writer, engagement specialist and coordinator for the Charter Schools Reporting Corps. After Katrina and...